White-Bellied Heron

"The white-bellied heron, found in the freshwater ecosystems of the Himalayas, is the most endangered heron species in the world. Listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2007, its total global population is estimated to be only 50-249 adult birds, and numbers are declining even further . . . [T]he species is already extinct in Nepal and possibly in Bangladesh too, with the entire global population now restricted to northern Myanmar, northeast India and Bhutan . . . Conversion of major rivers for hydropower, expansion of agriculture and development for tourism are major threats to herons in Bhutan . . . In addition, where natural riverine ecosystems persist, the white-bellied heron’s habitat is under pressure due to extraction of resources such as timber, sand and stones, and loss of prey due to overfishing. The herons also face threats from hunting, and from noise pollution caused by road development . . . Fledgling herons often hit objects like electric lines when they fly from the nest, 70-75 days after hatching, sometimes dying from resulting injuries. This is on top of predation, nest failures and disturbance that the herons would naturally face." Due to its small genetic pool, the white-bellied heron is at risk of extinction, with fewer than five breeding pairs remaining.